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Memorial Sloan Kettering has now made keeping track of details regarding care easier by creating a private, personalized online link for patients to access this information and communicate with their physicians and nurses.

In addition to coping with a serious disease, cancer patients also must keep track of an array of details regarding their care. Memorial Sloan Kettering has now made this task easier by creating a private, personalized online link for patients to access this information and communicate with their physicians and nurses.

This patient portal, called MYMSKCC, allows patients to log on from a computer to review upcoming appointments, request prescription refills, check lab results, access educational materials, view hospital bills, and send and receive secure, nonurgent messages with medical staff involved in their care. The portal is available to adult patients treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Manhattan sites. Access is expected to expand to patients treated at MSKKC’s regional sites in the near future.

David R. Artz, Medical Director of Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Information Systems (IS), said MYMSKCC was launched in the fall of 2006 in pilot form for a few departments and services. In April 2008, the portal was made available to more clinics and the registration process was streamlined. “When patients come in for treatment, they receive a printed sheet with all their appointment information,” said Dr. Artz, who has worked closely with IS Project Manager Laurie J. Ochs and IS Project Coordinator Diana Garcia to develop the portal. “At the bottom of that, we simply began placing information about how to log on.” Since that change, about 500 new patients have enrolled every month, bringing the total number to 7,117 by the end of March 2009.

The most heavily used section of MYMSKCC allows patients to check the time and location of upcoming appointments and reminds them about any preparation that may be required — such as not eating before a test, or drinking a contrast milkshake before an imaging procedure. Another widely used feature allows patients to exchange secure e-mails with physicians’ offices. Because all communication is contained on the site and messages are encrypted in both directions, there is no danger of a confidentiality breach, which might occur when patients send standard e-mails through commercial services.

“It’s especially enhanced the relationship between patients and nurses, who manage most of the messages,” said Elizabeth S. Rodriguez, a nurse leader instrumental in the portal’s development and launch. “In the past, patients may have been reluctant to call because they were afraid of bothering anyone. Now they have more of an opportunity to ask the question, plus nurses get a better sense of what the patients’ needs are.”

By the early summer, MYMSKCC will enable patients to access the results of more than 130 commonly ordered lab tests as soon as they are reported. Patients also will soon be able to pay their hospital bills and view account balances online.

“Patients are definitely happy about this additional way to connect with us,” Ms. Rodriguez said. “It’s an entirely new level of care.”

Comments

Lawrence O. White

Jun 28, 2016 • 9:50 AM

A valuable forum

Harriet Livigni

Aug 22, 2016 • 7:05 PM

Went for blood in bklyn Atlantic ave I would like my blood tests results

Dear Harriet, if you have not found the information you are looking for on the MYMSK portal, you may send your MSK nurse a note by clicking on the "Compose Message" option on the "Messages" section of MyMSK. You may also choose to call your MSK physician directly for your results. If you need assistance with the MSKportal, please contact the MSK Help Desk toll free at 800-248-0593 or at 646-227-2593, Monday through Friday between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM Eastern Time. Thank you for reaching out to us.

Dear Nitin, a CA-125 level up to 35 U/ml is considered to be within the normal range, but there are many reasons why levels may be elevated above that number. We recommend you discuss your concerns with your doctor. Thank you for your comment, and best wishes to you.

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We welcome your questions and comments. While we share many of them with our world-class doctors and researchers, we regret that in order to protect your privacy, we are not able to make personal medical recommendations on this forum, nor do we publish comments that contain your personal information. If you would like to consult with an MSK doctor, we encourage you to make an appointment at 800-525-2225 or request an appointment online.

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